Locked On Cowboys – Dante Moore Alters First Round of NFL Draft: Impact on Cowboys

Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Network: Locked On Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode explores the ripple effect of QB prospect Dante Moore opting to return to school, shaking up the 2026 NFL Draft landscape. Marcus and Landon field fan questions about how this changes draft strategies for the Dallas Cowboys, examine the Micah Parsons trade fallout, and evaluate top safety prospect Caleb Downs. The hosts take a detailed look at draft implications, player age trends, and outline the team-building challenges and opportunities facing the Cowboys.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dante Moore Returns to College – Draft Impact

[00:57–06:27]

• Moore's Shock Decision:
  Dante Moore, widely considered a top 5 quarterback prospect, announced he will not enter the NFL Draft, weakening an already lackluster QB class.
• Immediate Draft Math:
  • Fewer QBs at the top means fewer "non-area of need" players go before Dallas picks at 12 — possibly pushing premium talents out of their reach.
  • “It's one less guy that's probably going to go above the Cowboys pick at 12... there's implications that you may lose out on an opportunity for like a David Bailey or one of these pass rushers...”
    — Landon McCool [02:33]
  • Teams in need will still likely overdraft QBs, so Moore’s absence may not dramatically alter which players are available in Dallas’ range.
  • “I don't think it's really going to impact Dallas too much at 12... you're still getting the same two or three guys that you're drafting every single time.”
    — Marcus Mosher [04:08]
• Draft Quality & Player Tiers:
  • Consensus: The talent pool from picks 2 or 3 to 12 feels unusually similar.
    “There's really no top five guys in this class outside of Mendoza that you feel great about. So the difference in picking at 8 and 12... I don't see it this year.”
    — Marcus Mosher [05:36]

2. Age Gap Among Prospects & Cowboys’ Draft Philosophy

[06:27–11:21]

• Wide Age Discrepancy:
  • Extra eligibility years post-COVID and new NIL rules mean more 24–25-year-olds in this draft.
  • Landon: “This is probably the last year of the kind of extra year granted for some of these Covid kids… that's why you're seeing a lot of 25-year-olds more than you probably would.” [07:23]
• Impact on Evaluation:
  • Historically, teams prize younger prospects, but win-now teams (i.e., Dallas) might deprioritize age in favor of NFL readiness.
  • “With the Cowboys... are you maybe willing to ignore the age a little bit to get guys that can come in and produce right away?”
    — Marcus Mosher [08:36]
• Day 2/3 Strategy:
  • Older, ready-to-play prospects (e.g., Keonte Scott) make sense as mid-to-late picks.
    • “Age is not going to be an issue for this guy because he’s going to be mature and professional and going to get to work.”
      — Landon McCool [11:00]

3. The Micah Parsons Trade – Can it Ever Be ‘Fixed’?

[15:08–20:35]

• Making the Best of a Bad Situation:
  • Both hosts regret the trade but focus on maximizing acquired assets (picks, salary cap space) for foundational improvements.
    • “Trying to maximize what you've got out of Micah Parsons is probably the better way of approaching it.”
      — Landon [15:08]
  • The key will be effective use of cap space and draft capital—especially in free agency.
    • “Now we have to see it... I want them to go out and target one or two guys at market price to come in here and fix the defense. And if they don’t, I'm going to be pretty disappointed.”
      — Marcus [17:41]
• Reasons for Cautious Optimism:
  • Landon notes Jerry Jones has shown more aggression of late, possibly linked to the trade backlash.
    • “It feels like he needs to compensate still for what happened with the Micah Parsons situation.”
      — Landon [18:31]
  • Quality over quantity: Even a single high-quality free agent addition (e.g., Trey Hendrickson, Devin Lloyd) could be transformative.
• Defensive Philosophy Shift:
  • There’s recognition that Micah “papered over” structural defensive flaws which Dallas must now address head-on.
    • “Now they are kind of forcing themselves to have to reconcile that they fix the defensive tackle position, which has been a huge crater... They're actually trying to make ends to solving very fundamental problems...”
      — Landon [20:35]

4. Caleb Downs: Top Safety Prospect & Dallas Draft Odds

[24:56–31:25]

• Historical Rarity of High Safety Picks:
  • No safety drafted top 10 since 2017 (Jamal Adams); comparison with Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton.
  • “Does [Caleb Downs] have the best resume of any safety that's come out of the draft in a quarter century?”
    — Landon [25:17]
• What Makes Downs Unique:
  • Elite football education—played under Nick Saban, won a national championship at Ohio State, consistently All-American level.
    • “As far as education in... correct the defense in college, I think Caleb Downs maybe had the best experience to get him ready to be an NFL superstar.”
      — Landon [26:02]
  • Average athletic testing and size keep him from being a “freak” like Derwin James, but technique and versatility set him apart.
• Realistic Landing Spots:
  • “I think there's only one team that's stopping Caleb Downs from getting to the Cowboys at 12, and that's the Cincinnati Bengals at 10.”
    — Marcus [29:27]
  • Teams at the top generally avoid safeties in favor of high-impact positions.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “First of all, it's gonna have a huge impact on me because I had lined up a whole bunch of really bad puns using both his first and his last name... So I'm really disappointed. I got to put that on the shelf.”
  — Landon McCool, joking about Dante Moore [02:27]
• “I'm never gonna feel good about the Micah Parsons trade because...he should be here, right? And if you were going to trade him, you should have gotten more from the trade. Now... it's how do you make the best of a bad situation?”
  — Marcus Mosher [16:22]
• “The thing is that without that at like top, top end, elite talent at a position that never goes top five anyways, like, if you're not Sean Taylor, you're probably not going top five.”
  — Landon [28:42]

Important Timestamps

• Dante Moore Decision & Draft Impact: [00:57–06:27]
• Age & Draft Prospect Debate: [06:27–11:21]
• Micah Parsons Trade & Offseason Philosophy: [15:08–21:36]
• Caleb Downs as a Prospect & Draft Odds: [24:56–31:25]

Summary Takeaways

• The Cowboys' slot in the draft is affected more in theory than in practice by Moore’s absence, as QB-needy teams may still reach and the talent pool is perceived as flat.
• Age is less of a red flag for older rookies this year, and could be a market inefficiency for contenders like Dallas.
• The Micah Parsons trade still stings, but the Cowboys' front office appears more motivated to actively address defensive weaknesses with greater urgency.
• The hosts view Caleb Downs as arguably the most NFL-ready safety in recent memory, with the Bengals as the only likely team to poach him before Dallas’ pick.

Useful for listeners who want a detailed grasp of how a single player’s decision shapes the first round, and how strategic roster building will define the Cowboys’ 2026 offseason.